On two occasions I tried the telebanking facility of ICICI, and on both occasions, they let me down.
The first time, I had to order a DD to submit fees for my exams through telebanking, as I was tied up with work and there was no time to personally go to the branch and make a DD. My order for DD was taken online and I was told I would be getting the DD in ’’two days’’. Nothing happened in two days. On the third day I called up to check the status. They told me the DD is ’’ready for despatch’’ and that I would get in another two days! Two more days passed off peacefully. As the last date for submitting the fees would have been over by then, I had no option but to cancel the DD. Unfortunately, I couldn’t arrange an alternative DD either. The result, I lost a year for the simple fault of believing in ICICI’s ’’professionalism’’.
My second stint with ICICI telebanking happened very recently. This time, I am yet to recover from the shock, I wanted to make a DD to be sent to a relative in my home state. Unlike last time, this time I had ENOUGH TIME to wait because the requirement was not that urgent. There was no deadline to submit the money. So I tried to give the telebanking a second shot. After all, I wanted to know how does it feel to get a DD in the mail, sitting at home.
I made a request through telebanking and, as usual, was told that I would be getting the DD in two days. I didn’t call on the third day to check. I had time! But when the days started to form a week, I could not care less. I called on the 8th day, was put on hold for a good 6 minutes, was profusely thanked for my patience, and was curtly told that the DD was ready at my local branch and I could go and collect it! Despite being a practising Buddhist, I lost my cool. I swallowed a few names and told them to get things straight. No use. I should do the legwork. Then I called up the local branch to ensure that the DD was indeed made.
Horror of horrors! They don’t take orders for DD from the ’’call centre people’’! But the lady in-charge of the DD section told me she would talk to the call centre people and see what could be done. Even today, 9th Jan 03, after 15 days, there’s no trace of the DD, nor are they telling what happened to it or when it will come. Needless to say, my ENOUGH time is fast running out. I have to make that DD and send it to my relative. And fast. I have to go to some other competent bank get things done. But ICICI was diligent enough to debit the DD amount from my account the very day I made the request! Maybe I will lose that amount. Now I am seriously thinking about closing my account with ICICI and open one with some better, more responsible bank. I no longer want to bank with crooks.